Processing of data for multicolor or other multi symbol designs

ABSTRACT

A COMPUTER-AIDED METHOD OF DEVELOPING A DIGITIZED MULTICOLOR DESIGN, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIONS OF ARBITARY MULTICOLOR PATTERNS INSERTED INTO ARBITARILY DEFINED AREAS OF THE DESIGN, AND SEPARATING THE COLOR INFORMATION IN A COLOR-BY-COLOR, ROW-BY-ROW FASHION TO PROVIDE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENABLING A MULTICOLOR KNITTING MACHINE TO PRODUCE THE DESIGN IN FABRIC. THE PRINCIPAL STEPS ARE SHOWN IN THE GENERAL FLOW DIAGRAM. STEPS 0 AND 1 ARE KNOWN (U.S. PATS. NOS. 3,529298 AND 3,644,935). IN STEP 2 AN ARRAY OF AREA LABEL NUMBERS IS GENERATED. IN STEP 3 SEPARATE BINARY ARRAYS ARE GENERATED TO REPRESENT THE RESPECTIVE LABELED AREAS. IN STEP 4 ARRAYS ARE GENER-   ATED TO REPRESENT THE SELECTED COLOR PATTERNS IN CHOSEN AREAS. COLOR PATTERNS MAY COMPRISES OLID OR MIXED COLORS. IN STEP 5 BINARY ARRAYS ARE GENERATED TO REPRESENT DESIGN ELEMENTS SEPARATED BY AREA AND BY COLOR. IN STEP 6 BINARY ARRAYS ARE FORMED TO SHOW, FOR EACH COLOR, WHERE ELEMENTS HAVING THAT COLOR ARE PLACED IN THE OVERALL DESIGN. IN STEPS 7, 8 AND 9 THE OVERALL COLOR SEPARATION ARRAYS ARE ARRANGERD FIRST INTANDEM, THEN ARE INTERLEAVED TO REPRESENT BINARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING THE KNITTING NEEDLES IN COLOR-BY-COLOR, COURSE-BY-COURSE FASHION.

DEFENSIVE PUBLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Published at the request of the applicant or owner in accordance with the Notice of Dec. 16, 1969, 869 0.6. 687. The abstracts of Defensive Publication applications are identified by distinctly numbered series and are arranged chronologically. The heading of each abstract indicates the number of pages of specification, including claims and sheets of drawings contained in the application as originally flied. The files of these applications are available to the public for inspection and reproduction may be purchased for 30 cents a sheet.

Defensive Publication applications have not been examined as to the merits of alleged invention. The Patent Oflice makes no assertion as to the novelty oi the disclosed subject matter.

PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 1974 GENERAL FLOW DIAGRAM no DIGITITE OUTLINE DESIGN D TO FORM BINARY ARRAY O REPRESENTING AREA OUTLINES IEIO.IOI

1 PRIOR ART STEP I APPLY IINOIIN SCAN AND LABEL PROCESS TO ARRAY I) FOR BUILDING SOAN TABLE OF AREAS AND TIIEIR LABELS IFIOJZI STEP RI OENERATE AREA LABEL ARRAY L (FIGS. IA H5) I SW3 OENERATE AREA SEPARATION ARRAYS O ,EACN

CORRESPONDING TO AN AREA LABEL ("Gilli-I9,

OPERATOR INPUT GENERATE AREA PATTERN ARRAYS D I EAOII STEP 4 REPRESENTING SYMBOLS OF A SELECTED COLOR OR COLOR PATTERN INSERTEO INTO A CNDSEN AREA (FIGS. ZO-SII CENERATE SETS OF AREA COLOR SEPARATION ARRAYS STEP 5 C ORE SET FOR EACH AREA LABEL q,AIIO ONE ARRAY IITNIN EACH SET FOR EAGII OF THE BASIC IIUESIkfiIII PRESENT IIITNIN TNAT AREA (FIGS. 32-39) vs CENERATE OVERALL COLOR SEPARATION ARRAYS 5', ONE FOR EAON BASIC IIIIE (PRISM-44) 51 P 7 ASSENBIE S ARRAYS IN TANDEN TO EORII E STACREO COLOR SEPARATION ARRAY S" (FIOSJSIIISI snPa BOIIO TRANSFORMATION I IATRIX T TOR IIII'ERLEAVINO ROWS OF 5 IIITIIIN 5* IEIOSJTHO) roan ounur mm A A5 PRODUCT or I s* m nmrsm msTnucnons m numcoum IINITTIIIG mums (FIGS.-i9i50) A computer-aided method of developing a digitized multicolor design, including representations of arbitrary multicolor patterns inserted into arbitrarily defined areas of the design, and separating the color information in a color-by-color, row-by-row fashion to provide operating instructions for enabling a multicolor knitting machine to produce the design in fabric. The principal steps are shown in the general flow diagram. Steps 0 and 1 are known (U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,529,298 and 3,644,935). In step 2 an array of area label numbers is generated. In step 3 separate binary arrays are generated to represent the respective labeled areas. In step 4 arrays are generated to represent the selected color patterns in chosen areas. Color patterns may comprise solid or mixed colors. In step 5 binary arrays are generated to represent design elements separated by area and by color. In step 6 binary arrays are formed to show, for each color, where elements having that color are placed in the overall design. In steps 7, 8 and 9 the overall color separation arrays are arranged first in tandem, then are interleaved to represent binary instructions for operating the knitting needles in color-by-color, course-by-course fashion.

April 16, 1974 p NE ET AL TQZLOZI PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.1

B=BLUE G=GREEN Y=YELLOW R=RED 16, 1974 P. BONNER ETAL PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTTSYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet F l G. 6

Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 3 R R Y WEFT ROWS 0R COURSES 2 G Y Y G G EXAMPLE OF 2 5 4 5 STITCH ARRANGEMENT B BLUE Y YELLOW c GREEN R RED STITCH POSITIONS INSTRUCTIONS TO MULTICOLOR KNITTING MACHINE FIG, 8 COLOR c005 TABLE COURSE COLOR E B S A R L O 1 OEA S CU R HEI 0 E O L L U 0 GORH C N E R 1 DD E 8 M T U VA M S Y v RS 1 S LD AU 1 0 D m o 0 0 0 ..1 1 0 B6 C C S M RL. 1RD 0 0 0 U C I C S P R R E B D IK 1 2 2d 4 SN G CU 1 N H April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T921,02l

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.9

DESIGN OUTLINE DRAWN UPON COORDINATE GRID FIG. 10

DESIGN OUTLINE ARRAY A ril 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ET AL Original Filed Dec 20, 1971 STEP STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5 STEP 6 STEP 7 STEP 8 STEP 9 FIG, 11 GENERAL FLOW DIAGRAM DIGITIZE OUTLINE DESIGN D TO FORM BINARY ARRAY D REPRESENTING AREA OUTLINES (FIG.IO)

APPLY KNOWN SCAN AND LABEL PROCESS TO ARRAY O FOR BUILDING SCAN TABLE OF AREAS AND THEIR LABELS (FIG.I2I

GENERATE AREA LABEL ARRAY L (FIGS. I4 H5) GENERATE AREA SEPARATION ARRAYS D EACH CORRESPONDING TO AN AREA LABEL (FIGS. 16-19) OPERATOR INPUT GENERATE AREA PATTERN ARRAYS D S EACH REPRESENTING SYMBOLS OF A SELECTED COLOR OR COLOR PATTERN INSERTED INTO A CHOSEN AREA (FIGS. 20-31) GENERATE OVERALL COLOR SEPARATION ARRAYS 3', ONE FOR EACH BASIC HUE (FIGS. -44) BUILD TRANSFORMATION MATRIX T FOR INTERLEAVING ROWS OF S WITHIN 8* (FIGS. 4T&48)

FORM OUTPUT MATRIX K AS PRODUCT OF T S* TO REPRESENT INSTRUCTIONS TO MULTICOLOR KNITTING MACHINE (FIGS. 49 A50) 26 Sheets-Sheet 4 PRIOR ART April 16, 1974 N, P. DQNNER ET AL PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Dec. 2O, 1971 FIG. 12

SCAN TABLE SCANT LABEL ZLENG SCANTX 254567 J J J J J J April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T921,021

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet t;

AREA LABEILS AREA LABEL ARRAY 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 i 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 Row POINTER T 1' POSITION April 16, 1974 Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 FIG. 15

STEP 2 N. P. DONNER L FORM AREA LABEL ARRAY (LI Z POSITION NUMBER WITHIN ZONE (I S Z s ZLENO) Z =OONTENTS OF CELL AT POSITION (i,j) IN L 26 Sheets-Sheet 7 FROM STEPI (FIG. II)

SET SOANTX =1 SET I =1 SET =1 \60 SET 2 =1 SET i LABEL 6I INCREMENT] \62 INCREMENT 2 IS j n 65 YES NO IS 2 ZLENG YES NO INCREMENT SCANTX April 1974 N. P. DONNER ET AL T 3 PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed Dec FIG. 16

AREA SEPARATION ARRAY FOR AR EA NO. 1

ROW P01N1ER 1 P0811 ON P01 N TE R N O T R 2 A O R 1 F O A N .P G x A A A R R E A A A R A 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 001111 0 1111111 011 1111 00111 00000000 N o 8 T R 3 A O R 1 F 0 A N G E A A RR E R A 00000000 0000000 0 0000000 000111 11 00 01 111 00 11111 00011111 00000000 00000 0 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 April 16, 1974 N. P. DONVNER ET'AL Original Filed Dec 20, 1971 FIG.19

STEP 3 FORM AREA SEPARATION ARRAYS q LEGEND q AREA NUMBER (MAX TOTAL NUMBER OF DISTINCT AREAS (HIGHEST LABEL 1N SCANT) FROM STEPZ (F1GS.11 1115) SET q I 26 Sheets-Sheet 9 INITIALIZE SPACE SETI1 FOR CURRENT D TO ALL 0'8.

INCREMENT YES SET j 1 INCREMENT i lSi m? YES NO INCREMENT q PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS (I.E., MAKE ARRAY SPACE AVAILABLE FOR NEXT D lSq 0MAX? YES- NO 60 T0 STEP4 (FIGS. 11 & 28)

April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T92l,021

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet 10 Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 0 M F R O O O A N \l 2 EWRM O LO G POL CO F X E G 0 F 8 GGGGGGGG GGGGG.GG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGG GGGG GGGGGfll-VGG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGGGGGGG GGGGG GG GGGGGGGG Y O R O A T Z m M ED 0 N G TT T A A 0 N A EL R0 w 0000000 0000000 00 00000 000000 0 00000000 00000000 000000 0 00000000 00000000 OOGGG GO OGGGGGGG 0GGGGGG G OOGGGGGO 00000000 FIG. 22

MIXED COLOR ARRAY c BUILT UP FROM MIXED COLOR PATTERN P5 5 RRQ OON LF 0 E CND R0 DEC E T XTW MP C 5 DI RRRR\ RV V RVIVIYR NR OCL IH RRRR IN S 0 D! DH CL eW Rm 0 D1 RV Y RV Y RRRRDHRDHR RRRDHRRR DH RV V DHDHV V V V RRV I RDHDHDHDH DHDHRRRDHRR RVIVIRRVIVIR RRV V D RRDHDHRRRR RRRRRRRR RV V RDHV V RV V RRV V RDHRRRDHDHDH I ROW POINTER April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ET AL T921,02l

PHUCESFSING OF DATA FOR MUL'IICOLOR OR OTHER MUL'I'lSYMBOIJ DESIGNS VI A5 m 0 8 h S 4 LU 2NN|1 t R e O e O h T s I M A 6 R 2 P E R RS ON EL R0 w RRV V R RRRRRRRR RRRRRRRR V OOO 5 4 OOOOO D /,RRR00000 l 7 RRROOOOO 9 l DDDDV V DHOOO 9 D ROOOOOOO l mm W OOR l g l P 0 FIG. 25

FIG. 26 MIXED COLOR ARRAY c BUILT UP FROM MIXED COLORPATTERN P 6 RR 0 wF 0 E CND 0 w T XTW MP 6 \P V B Du DD 6 V DD Y B V B V Du B R DU DD DD R B R Y B Y B VI B V DD 8 R DD R B R DD R V: B Y DD V B v nD vl B Y DD vl B Y DD B R DD R B R B R Y DD V DD V DD vl DD B R R B R B Du Y B Y DD v Du Y B DD Dn DD R Du R B R V nD v DD V DD V nD DD R B R on DD DD Y s,e

W6 R N Z M HED QTT N G T I R MP E F M R0 00000000 0000 0000 00 0 00DDBDDDDR OOOBV DDV DD OOORDDRDDR OOODUV DUV DD 00000000 00000000 00000000 0000000 00000000 00000000 000 0000 April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T921,021

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet 12 3 FIG. 28

STEP 4 BUILD D ARRAY FOR EACH AREA TO REPRESENT COLORS THEREIN FROM sTEP 5 (Hes. N & 19) m NUMBER OF ROWS IN ARRAY n NUMBER OF POSITIONS/ROW l i ROW POINTER j POSITION POINTER 0 q AREA NUNB R k COLOR CODE NUNBER 4 H NUMBER OF HUES OPERATOR SIGNALS sELEcTloNs fiEfA 0F AREA NUNBER q ANU COLOR 81 CODE k FOR THAT AREA UoEs k UENUTE SOLID 0R MIXED COLOR B \82 I.E., IS k 5 H OR H 7 NR COLOR PATTERN BUILD soun COLOR BUILD MIXED COLOR 85 ARRAY c PATTERN ARRAY c 84 (STEP 4A FIG. 29) (STEP 4B FIG. 30)

BUILD AREA PATTERN ARRAY U FROM 0 AND c mm A 100 AsTEP 40, FIG. 51

\ EXIT FROM STEP 40, FIG. 51

oPERAToR ARE THERE ANY NAME AREAs \HO INPUT REQUIRING COLOR ANSERTION B NO YES G0 TU STEP. 5 7

(FIGS. 11 A 59) April 16, 1974 p BONNER ET AL TQZLOZI PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet 15 FIG. 29

STEP 4A BUILD souo COLOR ARRAY c kSH LEGEND as m NUMBER OF ROWS n NUMBER OF POSITIONS SET ij COLOR SYMBOL i ROW POINTER DENOTED BY k j POSITION POINTER IN ARRAY c se INCREMENT j 87% IS j n SET j YEs N0 60 T0 STEP 40 (FIG. 51

April 1974 N. P. DONNER ETA!- PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGN S Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet 14 F I G. 3 0

STEP 4B BU LD M XED COLOR ARRAY c FROM SUBPATT E RN P LEGEND m NUMBER OF ROWS IN 0 N n NUMBER OF POSITIONS/ Row IN '0 SET 9 1 90 i ROW POINTER FOR 0 j POSITION POINTER FOR 0 C CONTENTS OF om AT POSITION i, j IN 0 SET r 1 -91 v NUMBER OF ROWS IN P w NUMBER. OF POSITIONS/ ROW IN P v e Row POINTER FOR P N f POSITION POINTER FOR P 7 SET on p 92 pef CONTENTS OF CELL AT POSITION (e,f) IN P INCREMENT j -93 INcRENENT f IS j n -94 YES No 95 INCREMENT 96 SETJ=1 |Sf w.

YES NO 91- IS i m NO YES E. 00 T0 STEP 4c 98 FIG. 51

NO YES 7 J 99- INCREMENT e April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T921921 PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet 15 FiG.'31

STEP 4c BUILD D FROM D AND c:

FROM FIG. 29 OR FIG. 50

INITIALIZE ARRAY .SPACE FOR cURBE T M T N LEGEND Q =1 0 ALL 0s. IIII q AREA NUMBER k= COLOR CODE NUMBER m= NUMBER OF ROWS n NUMBER OF PosIIIoNs SET 102 I ROW POINTER j POSITION PUINIER c j=CONTENTS OF CELL AI k POSITION (i,j) IN ARRAYC q d CONTENTS OF CELL AT q A i 0R 0? POSITION IN ARRAY D 1 0 U91 =coNIENIs OF CELL AT k POSITION (i,j) IN ARRAY D Is II? IUB YES N0 INCREMENT i 107 IS i m I 108 YES NO EXIT FROM STEP 40 (SEE FIG. 28)

April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T92l,02l

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet 16 Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 OAWO .CO .A

Ill- A .A

F RR

A Q N A Ll Y W VI AN AD R E1 R U R 3L WN 3L YN ON 0 .CO H O 3% G T O R AT R F F A RN AA RN P P I. EL E 80 so C C 00000000 0 00 0 00000000 00000 00 00000000 00 000 0 0000000 0 000 00000000 O OOO 0O 000000 0 000000 00 000000 0000 0 00000000 0 0 0 000000 00 01 1 1 0 00000000 00000000 00000000 omooooooo R M1 5 3 N w A 0 m O E GAT N FRR R April 16, 1974 BONNER ETAL PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet 17 Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 AREA COLOR SEPARATION ARRAY IN Du 9b 0 R A O 2v L N2v 0 0 nhv AA T MW cu um R Om E m C 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00 111110 1111111 1111111 00111110 00000000 0 w A w 3 oo 1.. A 0 31- V O o fl v 3A GATN M IEA. cl R u 0 1- o C 00000000 00000000 00000000 0 00 0 0 00000000 0000101 00000000 0 000000 00000000 0 000000 00 00000 00000000 00000000 April 16, 1974 DQNNER ETAL 1 921,021

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1971 26 Sheets-Sheet l8 F1339. FROM STEP4 (FIGS.11&28) STEP 5 l GENERATE SETS OF cm ARRAYS, ONE SET SET q BEING BUILT FROM ff:

EACH D ARRAY m NUMBER OF ROWS INITIALIZE ARRAY SPACE 114 n POSITIONS/ROW FOR CURRENT 0M TO ALL ZERO's i ROW POINTER j POSITION POINTER H NUMBER OF HUES M QMAX=NUMBER 0F AREAS H 0? cfb CONTENTS OF CELL AT NO YES POSITION(i,j) 0F c i 1' 118 N9z CONTENTS OF CELL AT k P0SITl0N(i,j) 0F NM 116 Is INCREMENTj YES NO E I V 19 IS j n? I NA 117 SET c 1 YES NO 2 7 1 0 SET j =1 (I.E.,START 0 FOR NEXT COLOR IN CURRENT SERIES)' 121 IS i m 125- l3 k H YES NO YES NO SET R=-1 INCREMENTq \124 (I.E.,START c sERIEs FOR NEXT AREA) IS 0MAX? 125 NO I YES 00 To STEP6 (FIGS. 11 I44) April 16, 1974 N. P. DONNER ETAL T921,02I

PROCESSING OF DATA FOR MULTICOLOR OR OTHER MULTISYMBOL DESIGNS 26 Sheets-Sheet 19 Original Filed Dec 20, 1971 FIG. 40

OVERALL COLOR SEPARATION ARRAY FOR COLOR NO. 1 (BLUE) IN ALL AREAS I N N N W N E D w m m T R L R ..l L A R G E 2 L A W E E 3 L A W E R O R Y R 4 R R .MAFZA 4 F4 W RW RW Q G E S M W L G E S R L L G E S M N L F F 0 RN 0 O L ..l L 1 L I 0 L o L 0 O C 0 C C O C C C 0 0 000000 0 00 0 0011001 00000000 00000000 111 00000000 0 00000 0010 1 00000000 0 1010 10 0000000 00000000 00000000 10101 .00000000 0 001 00 001 00111 0 00000000 00000 01111111 00000000 000000 1 1114 11 00000000 00 0000 00111110 01000000 0000001 00 00000 00000000 1 1 2\ 5\ 4\ S S S 

